Ready for something sweet, Atlanta? Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream, serving handmade ice cream since 1945, is excited to announce the opening of its newest location in Midtown Atlanta. This corporate-owned location will introduce Georgia to Handel’s iconic flavors which are handmade daily on-site and marks the brand’s expansion into the Peach State. The nearly 80-year-old legacy brand will host a weekend of family-friendly events in the heart of Midtown Atlanta, starting Thursday, November 14, 2024, at Midtown Promenade, 931 Monroe Dr. Northeast.

The community is invited to celebrate all weekend long while indulging in Handel’s delicious ice cream that’s made fresh in-store every day. The festivities will begin with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10:00 a.m., and doors will open to the community at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, November 14. The first 100 guests in line will receive Free Ice Cream for a Year!* The celebration will feature a Spin & Win wheel offering chances to win exciting prizes, along with a live DJ, photo booth, cornhole, an onsite radio broadcast from 680 The Fan, and more.

“The greater Atlanta area is a major hub for foodies, and we’re thrilled to bring our award-winning, time- honored ice cream to a flourishing community. We are eager to open our doors and introduce our handmade ice cream to this vibrant community,” Jennifer Schuler, Chief Executive Officer for Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream. “We’ve seen time and time again that our ice cream parlors become the centerpiece of family celebrations and special moments, and we can’t wait to bring that cherished experience to Atlanta with our fresh ingredients and nostalgic flavors that people love.”

Guests can join the continued celebrations at Handel’s Midtown Atlanta on Friday, November 15 where the first 100 guests will receive a free Handel’s tote starting at 11 a.m. The festivities will continue throughout the weekend, from Friday, November 15 to Sunday, November 17, including fun activities such as face painting, cornhole, and a photo booth.

The Midtown Atlanta store will showcase unique artwork, including murals by local artists cementing the store as part of the community's rich creative tradition. Handel’s sought out a partnership with Atlanta- based artist and founder of Tiny Doors ATL, Karen Anderson, who has been bringing joyful and interactive art to iconic spots, and surprise locations, in Atlanta since 2014. On grand opening day, Handel’s will unveil its own Tiny Doors ATL installation, installed by the creative agency, ABV Agency. This installation will “put Handel’s on the map” alongside other notable installations like the Fox Theater, State Farm Arena, and Georgia Aquarium. Following the opening, Handel’s will begin a collaborative project with the Midtown High School Art Club and non-profit Paint Love to design an upcoming outdoor mural for the store.

This year, Handel's was named one of America's Favorite Ice Cream Chains by Newsweek and ranked in Nation’s Restaurant News' Top 500 Restaurants list, underscoring the brand’s steady franchise growth. “The combination of our strong unit economics, legacy brand with tremendous whitespace, and simple, scalable model is driving franchisee interest in new markets all across the country. We are investing in corporate stores because it builds our operational capabilities, enhances our playbook for entering new markets, and generates more best practices we can share with our franchisees. Over the past year, we’ve generated exciting momentum in new markets, and we're eager to build on this progress with more corporate locations coming soon to Georgia,” added Schuler.